Support community health-care, Cape Town suburbs, South Africa
HELP with the day-to-day running of a clinic in one of the most disadvantaged communities in suburban Cape Town. You might be helping serve up a hot meal to those who attend the clinic, getting stuck into admin in the dentistry or eye clinics, or assisting elderly people who have come to have their blood pressure checked.
Each afternoon, you’ll have free time to explore, relax on the beach, go wine-tasting at the Stellenbosch vineyards near by, or simply enjoy exploring the coastal town of Strand, a 40-minute drive from Cape Town.
Arrive with plenty of compassion and patience. Any previous nursing or health-care work is a bonus.
Cost: From £985pp for seven days, excluding flights.
responsibletravel.com/holiday/34392/community-healthcare-volunteering-south-africa
Elephant conservation, northern Thailand
BE PART of a project that helps hill-tribe families in northern Thailand to protect fragile forests and give their elephants freedom to roam.
The Foundation’s community-based tourism project, in a small village near Mae Sot, provides home-stays run by Karen hill-tribe families. The income generated through this project helps to prevent deforestation to grow cash crops, protecting more than 90,000 hectares of cloud forest, where the elephants live.
Besides pitching in with community tasks, volunteers also hike with the mahouts into the forest to spot their elephants — which now live semi-wild lives, protected from abuse and habitat loss.
Cost: From £525pp for six days, excluding flights.
responsibletravel.com/holiday/18390/community-volunteering-and-elephant-watching-thailand
Teach English to women in Kerala, south India
IT HAS been found that when women have better access to education and income, whole communities benefit. Head to Fort Kochi, Kerala, to work with women who want to improve their spoken English and computer skills, building their self-esteem and confidence, while also shaping opportunities for future financial and personal independence.
There is plenty of time built into the schedule to explore the backwaters and beaches of Kerala, and unwind in Fort Kochi’s abundant art cafés and restaurants.
Fluency in English is the only real requirement on this trip, but any background in computer skills, education, curriculum design, or vocational training is particularly valuable here.
Cost: From £722pp for seven days, excluding flights.
responsibletravel.com/holiday/13728/womens-empowerment-volunteering-in-india
Turtle conservation for families, Costa Rica
INSPIRE young environmentalists and would-be naturalists with the chance to involve your family in protecting nesting turtles and their hatchlings in Costa Rica.
Children will love the excitement of night-time beach patrols and other conservation tasks — including helping to release new hatchlings into the sea. You’ll be based on a secluded beach in a quiet coastal community, where you’ll also have plenty of time to surf, play on the beach, and enjoy games of football with local children.
Cost: From £1085pp for seven days. Excluding flights. Suitable for children aged five and above.
responsibletravel.com/holiday/16315/family-volunteering-with-turtles-in-costa-rica
Whale and dolphin research, Ligurian Sea, Italy
SIGN up as a full crew member on a 21-metre motor yacht, and spend six days at sea gathering data on some of the most threatened marine wildlife in Europe.
The Pelagos Sanctuary, stretching in a triangle from the Côte d’Azur, in France, down to the tip of Sardinia and up to the Tuscan coast, is the only marine protected area dedicated to the protection of marine mammals in Europe. You’ll be helping onboard marine biologists to record dolphin and whale sightings that help to inform ongoing conservation strategies — and taking on your share of crew chores that keep your vessel, and the ongoing project, ship-shape.
Along the way, expect to spot Risso’s dolphins, bottle-nosed dolphins, sperm whales, fin whales, and more, plus opportunities to swim, sail, and learn more about marine biology and conservation.
Cost: From £705pp for six days, excluding flights.
responsibletravel.com/holiday/4916/whale-and-dolphin-research-in-ligurian-sea-italy
Help to protect bears, Brasov, Romania
CARE for bears rescued from circuses, illegal ownership, tourist attractions, and other abuse at the largest bear sanctuary in Europe, set in the Carpathian Mountains just outside Brasov, Romania.
Oyster WorldwideA brown bear in the forest at the bear sanctuary in the Carpathian Mountains, Romania
There is no hands-on contact with the bears; expect, instead, to be guiding tours of the facility, chopping food, and crafting enrichment activities. But you will get to see bears that cannot be released back into the wild enjoying as much freedom as possible, in the sanctuary’s enormous forested enclosures.
Cost: From £1349pp for seven days, excluding flights.
responsibletravel.com/holiday/5021/volunteering-with-bears-in-romania
Support sustainable fashion, Athens, Greece
HELP to transform discarded clothing on a project that empowers refugees, and victims of trafficking, with fair employment and vocational training.
Based in Athens — a city with a flourishing sustainable fashion scene — you will be working alongside other volunteers to sort, clean, and prepare textiles for reuse. Other tasks include helping to design and produce upcycled fashion, assisting local sustainable-clothing stores with sales and logistics, and even delivering workshops on the effects of fast fashion.
During your time off, the streets of Athens, historic landmarks, markets, and tavernas are on your doorstep to explore.
Cost: From £1950pp for four weeks, excluding flights.
responsibletravel.com/holiday/36256/ethical-fashion-volunteering-holiday-in-greece
Sarah Faith is senior values writer at Responsible Travel.
responsibletravel.com
TRAVEL AND RETREATS is edited by Christine Miles. Tours and holidays advertised are not guaranteed or underwritten by the Church Times or Hymns A&M. Readers should check for ATOL/ABTA guarantees and take out insurance. Details are correct at the time of publication. See also www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice